e070 Hacking the stress system: the stress response as an adaptive trait that can work for or against you

Faculty of Sports Studies
spring 2027
Extent and Intensity
1/0/0. 3 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
In-person direct teaching
Teacher(s)
David William Mac Gillavry, Ph.D., M.A. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
David William Mac Gillavry, Ph.D., M.A.
Department of Physical Education and Social Sciences – Faculty of Sports Studies
Contact Person: Ing. Zuzana Florianová
Supplier department: Department of Physical Education and Social Sciences – Faculty of Sports Studies
Prerequisites (in Czech)
BOZP_OK(bozp_po_stud_fsps)
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is only offered to the students of the study fields the course is directly associated with.

The capacity limit for the course is 10 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 0/10, only registered: 0/10
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Abstract
The course aims to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of the evolution and function of the stress response, as well as practical methods to optimise this response for better performance.
Learning outcomes
The course aims to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of the evolution and function of the stress response, as well as practical methods to optimise this response for better performance. Students will learn that the stress response is a double edged sword that can be incredibly harmful to both short-term performance and long-term health, or a tool with which to tackle complex problems under time pressure. After successful completion of the course students will have a both a theoretical basis and a set of practically applicable techniques, with which the stress response can be optimised for performance in both oneself and others.
Key topics
  • Introduction to the course and the evolutionary basics of stress (L)
  • Social stress, reproduction and hierarchy (L)
  • On the genetics and epigenetics of stress resilience / sensitivity (L)
  • On the intersection between culture and stress (L)
  • Your stress in a wider context (S)
  • Why stress makes you stupid, most of the time (L)
  • Depression, PTSD and anxiety (L)
  • On the psychology of lying, deceit, and how stress makes it all much worse (L)
  • What stresses you and why? (S)
  • Lifestyle and stress I: Nutrition & Sleep (L)
  • Lifestyle and stress II: Sport & Social connections (L)
  • How can you optimise resilience? (S)
  • Optimising the stress response for greater performance (L)
  • Practical solutions for stress management (S)
Approaches, practices, and methods used in teaching
lectures, class discussion, practical training, a term paper
Method of verifying learning outcomes and course completion requirements
Be here, be active & be prepared :)
A term paper:
Min 8 pages (2.0 spacing)
Proper bibliography and referencing (preferably APA)
Subject of your choosing as long as it relates to stress and peak performance
Language of instruction
English
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
The course is taught each semester.
Information on course enrolment limitations: The course capacity is 10 FSpS and 10 exchange students.
The course is also listed under the following terms spring 2024, spring 2025, spring 2026.
  • Enrolment Statistics (spring 2027, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/fsps/spring2027/e070